Bilambil Community Preschool was started out of necessity. Parents of young children believed that a local preschool was needed. It began in 1986 in the Bilambil Community Hall.
Bilambil Preschool was given a building fund, but there was no land available. Greenbank Preschool had Government funding for five days but only needed two days, therefore, Bilambil Preschool was given their extra three days. The Preschool was known as 'Bilambil Community Preschool - Greenbank Outreach'. For six years it operated in the hall packing and unpacking everything each day.
In 1991/2, when the new Bilambil Public School building was completed, the old school library was going to have to go. As it was coming close to the centenary of the school, a way of keeping it was to offer a lease to the Bilambil Preschool. The existing toilet block was immediately added on at a cost of $45,000 and the Bilambil Preschool became operational.
Our 2009 committee worked very hard to get the local council to provide safer parking facilities for the Preschool and, in the summer of 2010/2011, our new car park was completed.
In 2011 Bilambil Community Preschool increased its operation to five days a week. This helped to fill the desperate need for more quality Preschool care in the Bilambil, Terranora and West Tweed areas.
Until 2012, Bilambil OOSH was a separately run entity operating out of the same building during before and after school hours. In 2012, the two services merged to become Bilambil Community Preschool & OOSH Inc. Both services are run by the one Parent Management Committee, made up of parents from both services. In 2012 new soft fall was installed under the play equipment and a permanent shade shelter put up. Our office extension was added giving us much needed storage and office space. In 2014 we started incorporating the school's small rainforest into our program. It was an opportunity for children to explore and learn through their natural world and enhanced our focus on environmental sustainability.
In 2019, thanks to a Capital Works Grant from the NSW Government, extensions created an additional room and office, as well as upgraded toilet facilities.
Our Mission is to Enrich Childhood by:
Appreciating children for who they are;
Enhancing the environment to enable discoveries and learning; and
Informing, inspiring and challenging children to think and live in new ways.
Our Philosophy
We acknowledge and respect the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet; the Nganduwal people of the Bundjalung nation.
The rights and best interests of the child are paramount. This is why we uphold the United Nations Rights of the Child and ECA Code of Ethics.
We believe in the importance of relationships and connections. These need to be genuine, trusting, respectful, honest and caring.
We respect families as a child’s first educator.
We strive to develop partnerships with families to facilitate continuity of care, where bothparties can learn from one another.
We embrace diversity
We believe that all children, families and educators bring unique skills, abilities, interests, ideas, cultures and life experiences to our centre.
Providing inclusive practices promotes equity and a strong sense of belonging.
Everyone has the right to be heard, Children, families, educators and management.
We value community
We continue to look for ways to make connections with our local and wider community.
We are responsible for our environment. We recognise and value natural resources and seek to embed sustainable practices within the centre.
Our rural environment is a big part of our centre, and the welcoming feel it creates, a connection to the natural environment that we aim to nurture. An environment that is safe, calm and nurturing allows children, families and educators a space that is inviting, engaging and fun.
We believe in learning through play. Play is a very important part of childhood. It allows children to experiment with the world around them and the emotional world inside them. Children need time to just to “Be”.
We believe in ongoing improvement. By continually reviewing and critically reflecting on our practices, in conjunction with professional development and consultation with families, we are able to strive for best practice.
